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IBM DB2 Web Query integrates with Microsoft SQL Server.

DB2 Web Query is a great tool for reporting and graphing data on IBM i. It has built-in capabilities that allow DB2 Web Query to access data on any IBM i Power System. This starts to bring the power of a federated database into IBM i. A federated database system is one in which a single system accesses data that resides on multiple database systems. In the past, data was often replicated from one system to another to allow this type of access. However, this leads to issues with data being out of date, out of sync, and out of control. To help extend federated database capabilities, DB2 Web Query introduced the Microsoft SQL Server adapter.

Microsoft SQL Server Adapter

Available as an additional feature to the base DB2 Web Query product, the Microsoft SQL Server adapter allows DB2 Web Query to reach out and pull data from any SQL Server version 2000, 2005, or 2008. Once the metadata is defined to link the SQL Server data into DB2 Web Query, the tools work exactly the same. This allows a report developer to quickly use the same familiar toolset to build powerful reports over IBM i data or Microsoft SQL Server data!

This capability also allows for the integration of data from both platforms within a single report! Imagine joining your manufacturing data on IBM i with your Point of Sale data on SQL Server within one report. And all the data is accessed live, in real time, with no replication or additional administration tasks.

Setup

There are two steps to set up the Microsoft SQL Server Adapter for DB2 Web Query. The first step is to install and configure the adapter. Once the adapter is set up, metadata to the SQL Server box needs to be created.

To install the Microsoft SQL Server, insert the 5733QU2 DVD and install Option 6. Next, download the correct JDBC driver from Microsoft's Web site, either version 1.1 for SQL Server 2000 or 1.2 for SQL Server 2005 and 2008. Place the JAR files into the /QIBM/UserData/Java400/ext directory.

Log in to the DB2 Web Query interface and launch the metadata tool. Select Add Adapter, and choose the correct version. Set the correct URL and driver strings. For SQL Server 2000, use jdbc:microsoft:sqlserver://sqlserver.mycompany.com:1234 and com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver. For SQL Server 2005 and 2008, use jdbc:sqlserver://sqlserver.mycompany.com:1234 and com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver. Of course, replace sqlserver.mycompany.com with the SQL Server's DNS name or IP address and 1234 with the correct port for the SQL Server.

For security, the SQL Server must be set up for both Windows and SQL Server authentication. The adapter will pass a single, static user profile and password to the SQL Server. This profile will need to be authorized to read all the data required to be accessed by the adapter. End and restart DB2 Web Query to pick up these changes.

Now that the adapter is set up, create metadata against the resources that need to be accessed by the SQL Server. Just as you did with the DB2 CLI adapter, right-click the SQL Server adapter and select Create Synonym. The only difference here is the addition of a dropdown box to select the database on the SQL Server. Unlike DB2 on IBM i, SQL Server breaks data into multiple databases within a single SQL Server and then into schemas and tables. In sticking to IBM's best practices for DB2 Web Query, IBM would recommend using a suffix of something like _sqlsrvr as a visual queue that this data is remote.

And that's it! The synonyms to the SQL Server data show up right along with the local data synonyms. They function and operate exactly the same way. This is because of the power of the metadata layer. As report builders, the location of the data is not important! Build reports using the same, common toolset, regardless of the source data's location.

Performance

While the capabilities exist to perform these cross-system joins, keep in mind that performance may vary from that of a local query. When a join is done, the system attempts to eliminate as many rows as possible as soon as possible. The system uses a variety of tools, such as indexes and statistics, to accomplish this. When DB2 Web Query performs a cross-system join, the same techniques cannot be used.

This may result in larger result sets coming back into DB2 Web Query, which then processes the join, eliminating data at that point. Keep in mind that your final result will be accurate, but the overall time required to execute these cross-system joins is longer than if the data were all local.

In addition to data processing times, the speed of the network and the relative distance between the servers will also affect the overall run time. If the Power Systems and Microsoft servers are in the same data center, the transmission times will be quicker than if one is in an East Coast data center and the other in a West Coast data center.

More Information

If you would like more details about the Microsoft SQL Server Adapter for DB2 Web Query, please visit the DB2 Web Query site. For pricing or ordering, please contact your Business Partner or IBM marketing rep. The best way to learn DB2 Web Query is to follow the tutorial-driven IBM Redbook Getting Started with DB2 Web Query for i.

Robert Andrews is a Managing Consultant in the IBM STG Lab Services team in Rochester with over a decade of database design experience. The STG Lab Services team provides consulting, education, and implementation services to customers worldwide. Robert can be reached at [email protected].

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In this Webinar, we'll demonstrate how Profound.js 2.0 enables you to easily adopt Node.js in your business, and to take advantage of the many benefits of Node, including access to a much larger pool of developers for IBM i and access to countless reusable open source code packages on npm (Node Package Manager). You will see how Profound.js 2.0 allows you to:

Make Modern Apps You'll Love with Profound UI & Profound.js

Roses are red, your UIs are green...It's time to make your apps proud to be seen! Whether you have green screens or a drab GUI, your outdated apps can benefit from modern source code, modern GUIs, and modern tools. Profound Logic's Alex Roytman and Liam Allan are here to show you how Free-format RPG and Node.js make it possible to deliver applications your whole business will love.In this webinar, you'll learn how you can use both Profound UI and Profound.js to:

Transform legacy RPG code to modern free-format RPG and Node.js

Deliver truly modern application interfaces with Profound UI

Extend your RPG applications to include Web Services and NPM packages with Node.js

This webinar will include a live product demonstration and Q&A with the presenters.

Download and watch today!

2017 IBM i Marketplace Revealed

IBM i is one of technology’s best-kept secrets, with little information available about what IBM i users are doing on this server. Even companies that use this technology struggle to explain to their own teams what IBM i stands for and who else is using it. The IBM i Marketplace Survey—now in its 3rd year—was designed to solve this problem. Watch this on-demand webinar for the exclusive results of the 2017 survey. IBM i Champion Tom Huntington is joined by a panel of technology experts to discuss year-over-year trends and new insights. The panel will discuss:

What other platforms do you run alongside IBM i?

What programming and Open Source languages are you using?

What are your top IT issues?

What version of POWER and what OS level is most prevalent?

Are you expanding your usage of IBM i?

Is IBM i a good ROI?

The expert panel will provide industry insight and comments about the results. When the webinar concludes, you’ll get access to the full results.

Accelerating Programmer Productivity with Sequel

Most business intelligence tools are just that: tools, a means to an end but not an accelerator. Yours could even be slowing you down. But what if your BI tool didn't just give you a platform for query-writing but also improved programmer productivity? Watch the recorded webinar to see how Sequel:

Makes creating complex results simple

Eliminates barriers to data sources

Increases flexibility with data usage and distribution

Accelerated productivity makes everyone happy, from programmer to business user.

Business Intelligence is Changing: Make Your Game Plan

Everyone wants a piece of your business data. But keeping up with data access requests in the era of constantly growing data is a challenge. As a result, your IT department can be overwhelmed, inundated, and constantly needing to play catch-up. It’s time to develop a strategy that will help you meet your informational challenges head-on. Watch the webinar to learn how to set your IT department up for business intelligence success in 2018. You’ll learn how the right data access tool will help you:

Access IBM i data faster

Deliver useful information to executives and business users

Empower users with secure data access

Ready to make your game plan and finally keep up with your data access requests?

Controlling Insider Threats on IBM i

Let’s face facts: servers don’t hack other servers. Despite the avalanche of regulations, news headlines remain chock full of stories about data breaches, all initiated by insiders or intruders masquerading as insiders. User profiles are often duplicated or restored and are rarely reviewed for the appropriateness of their current configuration. This increases the risk of the profile being able to access data without the intended authority or having privileges that should be reserved for administrators. Watch noted security expert Robin Tatam as he discusses a new approach for onboarding new users on IBM i and best-practices techniques for managing and monitoring activities after they sign on.

Don't Just Settle for Query/400...

There’s a better way to run your queries. With an advanced query tool like Sequel Data Access, you can deliver the IBM i data your organization needs quickly and efficiently—without the hang-ups. In this session, we’ll address common frustrations with Query/400, discuss major data access and distribution trends, and help you understand what to look for in a more advanced query tool. Plus, you’ll learn how a tool like Sequel lightens IT’s load by:

Accessing real-time data, so you can make real-time decisions

Providing run-time prompts, so users can help themselves

Delivering instant results in Microsoft Excel and PDF, without the wait

Watch the webinar and learn why you shouldn’t just settle for Query/400.

How to Manage Documents the Easy Way

What happens when your company depends on an outdated document management strategy? Everything is harder. Capturing documents means scanning and filing—which takes you away from tasks that actually matter to the business. Managing documents means sorting through an endless sea of shared folders or filing cabinets—and sometimes documents can’t be found. Distributing documents means following a frustrating, manual process for routing documents internally and sending them to vendors and customers. You don’t need to stick with status quo anymore. Watch the webinar to learn how to put effective document management into practice and:

Capture documents faster, instead of wasting everyone’s time

Manage documents easily, so you can always find them

Distribute documents automatically, and move on to the next task

Lessons Learned from the AS/400 Breach

Get actionable info to avoid becoming the next cyberattack victim. In “Data breach digest—Scenarios from the field,” Verizon documented an AS/400 security breach. Whether you call it AS/400, iSeries, or IBM i, you now have proof that the system has been breached. Watch IBM i security expert Robin Tatam give an insightful discussion of the issues surrounding this specific scenario. Robin will also draw on his extensive cybersecurity experience to discuss policies, processes, and configuration details that you can implement to help reduce the risk of your system being the next victim of an attack.

Monitor VIOS (and AIX) from Your IBM i

Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) runs on AIX and allows you to share input/output resources across logical partitions. The health of your VIOS server is critical to the performance of all your Power server partitions, so monitoring it is a must. Our 2017 IBM i Marketplace Survey Results uncovered a cool trend: an increasing number of IBM i shops are running AIX instances alongside IBM i on Power Systems servers. We like to see these systems playing nicely together on the same server, though it does shine a spotlight on shared resources. During this 30-minute recording, our experts demonstrate the new VIOS and AIX monitoring capabilities in Robot Monitor. You’ll learn about:

The top AIX metrics that impact VIOS

Real-time monitoring with dashboard displays

Threshold and notification options

Identifying trends to better allocate resources

With VIOS/AIX running alongside IBM i, you need visibility into your entire Power environment. Watch now to see how Robot Monitor can get you there!

Overwhelmed by Operating Systems?

You’re responsible for looking after Windows, Linux, AIX, and VIOS, but you worry that you don’t understand their complexities well enough to make your job effective—or easy. No problem! Simplify the management of multiple operating systems and applications without becoming experts in each area. In this 30-minute recorded webinar, our experts demonstrate how you can:

Manage multiple platforms from a central location

View monitoring results in a single pane of glass on your desktop or mobile device

This presentation includes a live demo of Network Server Suite and shows how easy monitoring multiple operating systems and applications can be using point-and-click technology.

Real-Time Disk Monitoring with Robot Monitor

When IBM i disk space pulls its notorious disappearing act, you don’t have time to waste figuring out how the trick is done. You need to know when disk space starts to disappear and where it has gone before system performance and productivity start to suffer. Looking behind the curtain to keep a close eye on disk space—especially in a multi-partition environment—can have its challenges, but every good admin can have an ace up their sleeve. Our experts will show you how Robot Monitor can help you pinpoint exactly when your auxiliary storage starts to disappear and why, so you can start taking a proactive approach to disk monitoring and analysis. You’ll also get insight into:

The main sources of disk consumption

How to monitor temporary storage and QTEMP objects in real time

How to monitor objects and libraries in real time and near-real time

How to track long-term disk trends

Start seeing through the sleight of hand and get instant visibility into disk usage. Add advance warning of potential threats and—abracadabra!—you’ll reduce the risk of disk space depletion and curb the sudden flurry of activity to clean things up.

Stop Re-keying Data Between IBM I and Other Applications

Still following manual processes for extracting and transferring data across platforms? You’re not alone. Many business still depend on RPG for their daily business processes and report generation. And that leads to a lot of manual effort. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could stop re-keying data between IBM i and other applications? Or if you could stop replicating data and start processing orders faster? Or what if you could automatically extract data from existing reports instead of re-keying? It’s all possible. Watch this webinar to learn about:

The data dilemma

3 ways to stop re-keying data

Data automation in practice

Plus, you’ll see a demonstration of how data automation software from HelpSystems will help you finally stop re-keying data.

Protecting your organization from cyberthreats has never been more important—or more difficult. IT pros have many tactics to choose from, but time (and budgets!) are not unlimited. The key is prioritizing risks and identifying the most effective ways to mitigate the danger. In 2018, HelpSystems surveyed more than 600 IT and cybersecurity professionals to find out what security exploits loom largest and what strategies they’re turning to for protection. In this on-demand webinar, our team of cybersecurity security experts analyzes results. You’ll learn about:

Security strategies your peers are most interested in implementing

How managers and executives prioritize security

Who is responsible for cybersecurity at organizations around the world

Where IT pros turn for assistance with security

You'll also get practical tips for using this data to drive cybersecurity conversations at your organization.

The Top Five RPG Open Access Myths....BUSTED!

When it comes to IBM® Rational® Open Access: RPG Edition (also known as RPG Open Access), there are still many misconceptions - especially where application modernization is concerned!

In this Webinar, we'll address some of the biggest myths about RPG Open Access, including:

The RPG language is outdated and impractical for modernizing applications

Modernizing with RPG OA is the equivalent to "screen scraping"

This Webinar features IBM i expert Alison Butterill, and Profound Logic’s Brian May and Alex Roytman.

Watch the On-demand Webinar Now!

Time to Remove the Paper from Your Desk and Become More Efficient

Do your users keep paperwork on their desk until it's processed? Are people constantly removing documents from filing cabinets? What happens when your company depends on an outdated document management strategy? Too much paper is wasted—approximately 1,000 pages per month per worker. Attempts to locate documents in endless filing cabinets drive your employees crazy. And distributing documents to customers, vendors, and business partners is expensive and takes up far too much time. These are just three common reasons why it might be time for your company to implement a paperless document management system. Watch the webinar to learn more and discover how easy it can be to:

Capture

Manage

And distribute documents digitally

Plus, our experts will provide a live demonstration of how implementing a document management solution will quickly solve your paper-based problems, so you can be more

IBM i: It’s Not Just AS/400

IBM’s Steve Will talks AS/400, POWER9, cognitive systems, and everything in between

Are there still companies that use AS400? Of course!

IBM i was built on the same foundation.Watch this recorded webinar with IBM i Chief Architect Steve Will and IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington to gain a unique perspective on the direction of this platform, including:

TRY the One Package That Solves All Your Document Design and Printing Challenges

Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Why support 5 different products, when you can do it all with MarkMagic?

Backup and Recovery on IBM i: Your Strategy for the Unexpected

Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include: - Simplified backup procedures - Easy data encryption - Save media management - Guided restoration - Seamless product integration Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits.Try the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution FREE for 30 days.

Manage IBM i Messages by Exception with Robot

Managing messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include: - Automated message management - Tailored notifications and automatic escalation - System-wide control of your IBM i partitions - Two-way system notifications from your mobile device - Seamless product integration Keep your critical applications and data available. Try the Robot Message Management Solution FREE for 30 days.

MS Office Connector for Query/400...FREE Trial!

NGS' Qport Office enables Windows users to run IBM Query/400 queries to: - Create and update Excel spreadsheets and Access databases - Create Word documents - Send to Windows screen and PC printers No query conversion is required. Works with i5/OS V5R1 & above. Installs in minutes! If you don’t have a budget to replace IBM Query/400, but want your users to have one click enhanced output of their queries.... Request the online license agreement and product download instructions today! Offer good through December 31, 2016.

Control and Monitor User Access from Desktop PCs (ODBC, FTP)

Protect your company by monitoring network traffic to your IBM i servers with the industry-leading exit program, PowerTech Network Security. Without visibility into IBM i's exit points, your users could be viewing, changing, or even deleting sensitive data—and you wouldn’t know! Network Security lets you monitor and control access to over 30 exit points, including:

ACO MONITOR Manages your IBM i 24/7 and Notifies You When Your IBM i Needs Assistance!

More than a paging system - ACO MONITOR is a complete systems management solution for your Power Systems running IBM i. Managing the complexities of today's operating systems, business applications, and networks challenges even the most knowledgeable IT professionals. The cost to an enterprise of unplanned downtime, loss of human expertise during sick leave or vacation, and system/application or environmental failure can be devastating. ACO MONITOR manages your Power System 24/7, uses advanced technology (like two-way messaging) to notify on-duty support personnel, and responds to complex problems before they reach critical status.